He took part in a trail race and 'felt bad': 58-year-old athlete dies in Melgaço

The victim was one of the athletes at the back of the group. He was found catatonic in the final part of the test

An athlete died on Saturday during a trail race at the National Trail Championships held in Melgazo. The man was 58 years old.

“The athlete was immediately assisted because he was in an area where there were assistance resources nearby. He apparently suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest, and resuscitation maneuvers were performed, but it was not possible to reverse his condition,” the president of the Portuguese Sports Federation told Lusa.

According to Rui Pinho, the victim was a federation athlete, had insurance and sports medical examination to date and was a regular practitioner of the sport. He added: “His classification was sufficient to go to the national championship race and he was an experienced athlete,” explaining that the victim was found by a firefighter who was among the teams that accompanied the participants on motorcycles during the race.

“He was one of the athletes at the back of the group and there were already a few athletes on the tracks” when he was found just as the race was about to end, he said.

The news was initially announced by the Portuguese Running Association via its Facebook page, which sent its “sincere condolences” to the victim's family. “The athlete felt unwell during the competition and was immediately assisted by the on-site medical team. However, despite all efforts, it was not possible to change his condition, which we deeply regret,” he wrote.